Comb construction for typewriter



March 14, 1967 REXFORD COMB CONSTRUCTION FOR TYPEWRITER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 1.3, 1965 54 09M, MM% LM ATTORNEYS March 14, 1967 Original Filed March 13, 1965 W. REXFORD COMB CONSTRUCTION FOR TYPEWRITER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. N WILL/S E. REXFORD MJWM zw ATTORNEYS March 14, 1967 w. REXFORD 3,308,915

COMB CONSTRUCTION FOR TYPEWRITER Original Filed March 13, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

WILLIS E. REXFORD ATTORNEYS March 14, 1967 w. REXFORD 3,308,915

COMB CONSTRUCTION FOR TYPEWRITER Original Filed March 13, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. WILLIS E. REXFORD ATTORNEYS United States Patent Cfifice 3,308,915 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 3,308,915 COMB CONSTRUCTKON FOR TYPEWRITER Willis Rexford, Girard, Pa, assignor to Louis Marx & Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original application Mar. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 264,843, now Patent No. 3,223,220, dated Dec. 14, 1965. Divided and this application Dec. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 511,057 4 Claims. (Cl. 197-17) This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 264,843 filed Mar. 13, 1963, issued as Patent No. 3,223,220 on Dec. 14, 1965.

This invention relates to typewriters and, more particularly, to an improved portable type-writer characterized by simplicity and inexpensiveness of parts, ease of construction and assembly, and reliability of operation.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a typewriter which, in addition to ease and simplicity of manufacture and assembly and ease and simplicity of operation, is characterized by improvements in various components, especially, in this divisional application, the guiding means for the typing keys, also known as the comb.

Thus, a particular feature of the invention is a novel key guide or comb which is formed of a metal stamping having a plurality of slots extending transversely thereof and in longitudinally spaced relation. These slots act as guides not only for the typing keys but also for the pivot levers supporting a space bar, and for bell cranks interconnecting the typing keys to the type bars of the type basket.

The space bar levers, as well as the bell cranks, have portions projecting through slots in the upper surface of this comb, and a universal bar or rod is mounted to extend over this upper surface in somewhat spaced relation thereto, and is arranged for bodily shifting sidewise. As a typing key is operated, or as the space bar is depressed, the universal bar is shifted bodily and this shifting of the universal bar controls operation of various parts of the typewriter such as the ribbon feed and the carriage escapement mechanism. Furthermore, the bell cranks, the typing keys and the space bar levers are easily inserted into the guide comb, thus contributing to the simplicity and efliciency of the assembly of the parts.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanyin drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a typewriter embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the typewriter shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the lin 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial vertical sectional view, taken on the line 55 of FIG. 3 and illustrating the operation of the universal bar by the space key; and 4 FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the guide comb and the association of the keys with the universal bar.

A complete and comprehensive disclosure of a typewriter embodying the instant invention appears in the aforesaid copending application of which the instant application is a division. Thus, the detailed description will be limited to the features embodied in this divisional application in order to avoid an unnecessary lengthening of the specification.

Referring to the drawings, the typewriter includes a support base 20 which may be a sheet metal stamping,

and which is formed with an upstanding peripheral rim 21 provided with support feet 22. Adjacent the keyboard, base 20 is formed with a relatively large cutout 23 conforming in general plan to the plan of the keyboard including the space bar. A shell or partial cover 19 for the typewriter may be secured to the rim 21 of base 20 in any desired manner, not forming any part of the invention.

Base 20 has secured thereto sheet metal brackets for supporting the various operating elements. There are two principal brackets, including a forward bracket, generally indicated at '25 and a rear bracket, or carriage guide bracket, generally indicated at 30. Brackets 25 and 30 may be secured to base 20 in any desired manner as by riveting, spot welding, the use of twisted tongues, or the like.

Bracket 25 has the functions of supporting the universal bar or rod 100, which controls the ribbon feed and carriage escapement responsive to actuation of the typing keys or the space bar, and further supporting a pivot rod or axle 89 for the bell crank levers 75, operated by the individual keys, and for the space bar support arms or levers 81. To this end, bracket 25 includes a relatively elongated fiat base 24 extending transversely of base 20 immediately to the rear of rimmed cutout 23. At each end of base portion 24 of bracket 25 there are upstanding arms 26 which are mirror copies of each other. Each arm 26 has a horizontally etxending slot 27 near its upper end which is arranged to guidably receive the universal:

bar 100. Somewhat below its mid-height portion, each arm 26 is formed with an aperture 28 arranged to receive an end of pivot rod 89 for the bell cranks and the space bar levers. Each upstanding arm 26 may have a substantially horizontal outturned upper end 29 which may be apertured.

Rear bracket 30 supports the carriage assembly, the type bar basket, the ribbon spools, the ribbon guides, and other parts cooperative with these components.

The typewriter disclosed. features shifting between dif ferent characters by shifting of the type bar basket. The type bar basket, which is generally indicated at 50, is essentially convenional except for the aforementioned shifting operation and the connection of the type bar levers in operative relation with the typewriter keys. The shifting operation is more fully described in the aforementioned copending application.

Basket 50 includes a generally arcuately elongated casting 54 which has apertured ears 56 by means of which it may be secured to a plate 57. Casting 54 is formed with outwardly opening radially extending slots 58, each of which receives the pivot end of a type bar lever 55. The pivot ends of levers 55 are apertured to receive an arcuate pivot rod or shaft 59 which lies in a surface groove in casting 54 and is secured therein in any desired manner. Adjacent its pivot portion, each type bar lever 55 is formed with an apertured ear 61 for a purpose to be described. The outer end of each type bar lever has a type bar 60 secured thereto, each type bar 60 being a casting carrying a pair of characters 62 spaced longitudinally thereof, with the casting being anchored over the free end of the associated lever 55.

The keyboard, generally indicated at 45, includes the typing keys 70, a space bar 80 and shift keys 85. As will be noted in the drawings, the keys are arranged in three rows comprising a lower row, an intermediate row, and an upper row. Also, with particular reference to FIG. 6, it will be noted that the keys are arranged in groups of three, with each key of a group differing in lever length from the adjacent keys. Thus, the longest keys 70A are used for the lower row, the intermediate length keys 70B are used for the intermediate row, and the shortest keys 700 are used for the upper row.

Each key is stamped from metal and is in the form of an angular strip of metal including a generally horizontal arm 73and a generally vertical arm 74. There is one key 70 associated with each of the type bar levers 55, and the generally vertical arm 74 ofeach key as an operating head or button 76 secured on its upper end and having printed, or otherwise provided on its face, the characters of the associated type bar 60.

Each horizontal arm 73 has a reduced inner end 77 for a purpose to be described. Furthermore, each key 70 isformed with an aperture, with the apertures being located differently in each of keys 70A, 70B and 70C. In the keys 70A, this aperture is located adjacent an enlargement 78A'spaced substantially from vertical arm 74, and in keys 70B, the aperture is located adjacent an enlargement 788 (FIG. 6) which is much closer to vertical arm 74. In keys 70C, the aperture is located at the intersection of arms 73 and 74.

Space bar 80 is a relatively elongated plastic element which is supported on a pair of levers or arms 81. Each arm 81 is a relatively elongated and substantially fiat metal stamping having an upturned outer end receivable in a recess in space bar 80. In alignment with the lower row of keys 70A and their operating buttons 76, arms 81, which are mirror copies of each other, are offset, as at 82, to provide clearance for the operating buttons 76 of adjacent key levers 70 particularly when these operating buttons are depressed. For a purpose to be described, adjacent the, rearward end of each arm 81 there is an upstanding arm 83 which normally extends in a substantially vertical direction. The rearward end of each arm 81 is formed with a downturned abutment 84. Each arm 81 is provided with a cutout 81A (FIG. receiving one end of a spring 81B which encircles pivot rod 89 to urge, the lever in a clockwise direction to its normal position, with abutment 84 acting as a stop.

There are a pair of shift levers or keys'85, one at each end of keyboard 45, to effect shifting of the type bar basket on depression of either one of operating buttons 86 secured to the forward ends of the shift keys. The shifting operation is more fully described in the aforesaid copending application.

Each typing key is operatively connected to its associated type bar through the medium of a bell crank 75. These bell cranks, while otherwise identical in construction, have the lengths of their horizontal arms varied so that there are three groups of hell cranks. Bell cranks, 75A are associated with the lower row ofkeys 70A, bell cranks 75B are associated with the intermediate row of keys 70B, and bell cranks'75C are associated with the upper row of typing keys 70C. Each bell crank includes a generally vertical arm 87 and a generally horizontal arm 88, and has ,a pivoted aperture at the intersection of these arms. Vertical arms 87' of the bell cranks are substantially equal in length. However, bell cranks 75A have the shortest horizontal arms 88, bell cranks 75B have horizontal arms 88 of an intermediate length, and bell cranks 75C have horizontal arms 88, which are longer than the corresponding arms of bellcranks 75A and 75B. The forward end of each horizontal arm 88 is formed with an angularly offset tongue 79 engageable loosely through the aperture of the associated key 70 so as to pivotally connect this arm to the associated key. It will be noted that, with each key 70 pivotally connected to the forward end of arm 88 of its associated bell crank lever 75, the length of the horizontal arms 73 of the keys '70, rearwardly of the bell cranks 75,,are equal to each other.

The principal component of the guiding structure for the keyboard elements is what may be termed a key comb 90. This key comb is a formed and die-cut stamping of sheet metal, which'is bent or otherwise formed to providea substantially horizontal and relatively wide front flange 91, a front wall 92, a top wall 93, a rear wall 94, and a relatively narrow rear. flange 96. Front flange 91 is suitably anchored, in any desired manner, to base 24 of front bracket 25, for example by tongues projecting from base 24 through apertures in flange 91 and twisted to lock flange 91 to base 24. Rear flange 96 is similarly anchored to main support base 20 of the typewriter. This rearflange also forms an abutting surface for engagement with rear abutment 84 of space bar levers 81.

Comb 90 is suitably located by engagement of its rear Wall 94 with a shortupturned flange 24- along the rear edge of base 24 of front bracket 25.

Comb or guide 90 is formed with a series of slots 95 extending through front wall 92 and top wall 93, these slots 95 in the front wall portion, being wide enough to receive each typing key 90 and its associated bell crank and, in the top wall, being somewhat narrower so as to have suflieient clearance to receive only the upright arms 87 of bell cranks 75, Rear wall 94 is formed with slots 95A, each of which is aligned, fore and aft, with a slot 95, and slots 95A are of a width suflicient to receive, with clearance, horizontal arms 73 of levers 70. Front wall 92 extends vertically, then slopes forwardly and outwardly, and then has a short vertical section joined to top wall 93. Rear wall 94 lies in a single plane.

At locations laterally of the typewriter corresponding to the lateral locations of vertical arms 83 of spacebar arms 81', comb top wall 93 is formed with short slots.

97. A short distance laterally of each of the slots 97, front wall 92 of comb is formed with a pair of slots 98 which are somewhat wider than slots and 95A.

Also, rear wall 94 is formed with slots 98A which are aligned, fore and aft, with slots 98 and which have sub.- stantially the same width as slots 98. Slots 98 and 98A are sufiiciently wide to permit the passage, with clearance, of a key lever, arm 73, a bell crank arm 88, and a space bar lever 81. Each end of front Wall 92 extends somewhat beyond the corresponding ends of top wall 93 and rear wall 94, and these extended portions are reduced in height and formed with upwardly opening slots 99 for receiving shift levers 85.

In assembling the keyboard levers to the comb, bell cranks 75 are inserted from the front into the comb and space bar levers 81 are likewise inserted from the front through the comb. Pivot rod 89 is then inserted through holes 28 in the arms 26 of front bracket 25 and through the pivot apertures in bell cranks 75 and in shift levers 85, rod 89 being held in position by swaging or bending its ends outside arms 26 .of bracket 25. When this has been effected, the vertical arms87- of, bell cranks 75 will extend substantially above top wall 93 of key comb 90,

as will also vertical arms 83 of two space bar levers 81.

The guiding means for the keyboard levers further includes a guiding element or transverse guide comb 101 engageable with the reduced rear ends 77 of type key levers 70 and also having a guiding relation with shift levers 85. Rear lever guide 101 is an angular cross section member formed of sheet metal. and having its base suitably anchored to main support base 20. Guide 101 may be suitably positioned fore and, aftto the base by engagement of its vertical wall with tabs 102 struck up from base 20. The vertical leg of guide 101 is'formed with a series of vertically extending and relatively short closed slots 103, each aligned with a type bar lever portion 73 and :having reduced end 77 of the type bar lever extending thereinto. Adacent each end, the vertically extending rear leg of guide 101 is formed with an upwardly opening slot 104 each of which serves as a rear guide for shift lever 85.

The typing keys are biased to the upper position, or clockwise-as viewed in FIG. 2, by any suitable means. Shown by way of example is a rubber spring device 105, which forms the subect matter of US. Patent No. 3,197,- 011 issued July 27, 1965, to ShigeakiKurarnochi. However, other types of spring biasing means may be used for the typing keys 70.

For the purpose of operating a type bar 60, each time a key 70 is operated, bell crank 75 is connected by a wire 113 to aperture 61 of the associated type bar lever 55. For this purpose, the wire 113 may have a hooked end engaged in aperture 61 and an angularly offset end engaged through the aperture at the upper end of the vertical arm of the associated bell crank. Thus, each time a key 70 is depressed, its associated bell crank is caused to rotate effecting, through wire link 113, rotation of the associated type bar to thereby cause the character to strike the platen through an inked ribbon, all in a manner conventional in the typewriter art.

The operation of feeding the ribbon and advancing the carriage, responsive to the operation of a typing key or the space bar, is effected by the universal bar or rod 100. Rod 100 extends lengthwise of forward bracket 25, with its ends projecting through horizontal slots 27, suitable means being provided to prevent displacement of rod 100 from these slots. Slots 27 support rod 100 so that it is positioned slightly above upper wall 93 of comb 90 and rod 100 is biased into engagement with the vertical arms 87 of hell cranks 75 and with vertical arm 83 of each of the space bar levers 81; Each time a key 70 is depressed, its associated bell crank 75 is rocked counterclockwise, with the key 70, and particularly the horizontal arm 73 thereof, sliding rearwardly as tongue 79 on the bell crank lever moves downwardly and rearwardly. Also, each time space bar 80 is depressed, the upwardly extending arms 83 of its support levers move in a counterclockwise direction. Each of these movements of a bell crank or of the arms 83 advances universal rod or bar 100 forwardly of the typewriter while maintaining its axis parallel to its axis at the rest position. This bodily reciprocation of universal bar 100 is used to effect such actions as step-by-step advancing of the ribbon and operation of the escapement mechanism for the carriage.

A crank 185 extends transversely of the typewriter and is pivoted in rear bracket 30. Universal bar 100 is connected to crank 185 by means of a pair of offset links 171 each apertured at one end to receive bar 100 and at the other end to extend over the ends of crank 185. Springs 212 act between crank 185 and a bracket 33 to bias, through links 171, the universal bar into engagement with vertical arms 87 and 83.

Crank 185 effects actuation of the escapement mechanism on operation of the universal bar as more fully described in the aforesaid copending application.

The operation of the carriage assembly, carriage shift, escapement and ribbon feed mechanisms form no part of the invention claimed in this application and thus a further description thereof is deemed unnecessary. As stated heretofore, a complete description of such mechanisms may be found in the aforesaid copending application which has matured into US. Patent 3,223,220.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles thereof, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A typewriter comprising, in combination, a support base, a keyboard including typing key levers, a transverse guide comb guiding said key levers at the rear ends thereof, a type bar basket, pivotally mounted bell cranks connecting respective typing key levers to respective type bars of said type bar basket, and guiding and spacing means for said typing key levers and said bell cranks, said guiding means including a comb extending transversely of said base rearwardly of said keyboard, said comb comprising a sheet of metal bent to form a forward wall extending upwardly from said base, a top wall extending substantially parallel to said base, and a rear wall extending downwardly from said top wall to said base, said front and top walls being formed with a plurality of slots equal in number to the number of typing key levers and to the number of associated bell cranks, said slots being closed end slots and extending upwardly in said front wall and rearwardly into said top wall, the portions of said slots in said front wall being wider than the portions thereof in said top wall, the portions of said slots in said front wall each receiving a typing key lever and one arm of its associated bell crank, with clearance, the portion of each slot in said top wall receiving, with clearance, the normally upwardly extending arm of a bell crank.

2. A typewriter as claimed in claim !1 wherein said bell cranks are pivotally mounted on a shaft extending longitudinally through said comb between the forward and rear walls thereof and mounted in walls extending upwardly from the base at opposite ends of said comb.

3. A typewriter as claimed in claim 1 in which said rear wall is formed wit-h a number of slots equal in number to the number of slots in said front and top walls, and each aligned with a slot in the front wall, the slots in said rear wall receiving said type bar levers with clearance.

4. A typewriter as claimed in claim 1, said keyboard including a space bar, a pair of levers connected to opposite ends of said space bar and extending rearwardly therefrom and substantially parallel to each other, said levers extending through a pair of slots in said front wall, said levers having arms projecting therefrom and through a pair of slot in said top wall, said arms extending upwardly beyond the top surface of said top wall, means within said comb for pivotally mounting said space bar levers, and means biasing said levers upwardly in their slots.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,705,553 4/1955 Thomson 19722 3,057,449 10/1962 Thomson w 197-22 3,223,220 12/1965 Rexford 19722 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. E, S, BURR, Assistant examiner. 

1. A TYPEWRITER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORT BASE, A KEYBOARD INCLUDING A TYPING KEY LEVERS, A TRANSVERSE GUIDE COMB GUIDING SAID KEY LEVERS AT THE REAR ENDS THEREOF, A TYPE BAR BASKET, PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BELL CRANKS CONNECTING RESPECTIVE TYPING KEY LEVERS TO RESPECTIVE TYPE BARS OF SAID TYPE BAR BASKET, AND GUIDING AND SPACING MEANS FOR SAID TYPING KEY LEVERS AND SAID BELL CRANKS, SAID GUIDING MEANS INCLUDING A COMB EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BASE REARWARDLY OF SAID KEYBOARD, SAID COMB COMPRISING A SHEET OF METAL BENT TO FORM A FORWARD WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE, A TOP WALL EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID BASE, AND A REAR WALL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID TOP WALL TO SAID BASE, SAID FRONT AND TOP WALLS BEING FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF SLOTS EQUAL IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF TYPING KEY LEVERS AND TO THE NUMBER OF ASSOCIATED BELL CRANKS, SAID SLOTS BEING CLOSED END SLOTS AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY IN SAID FRONT WALL AND REARWARDLY INTO SAID TOP WALL, THE PORTIONS OF SAID SLOTS IN SAID FRONT WALL BEING WIDER THAN THE POR- 